MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a staunch critic of President Duterte, claimed that his administration has failed on all fronts of governance in its first 100 days.
Trillanes told radio station dwIZ that he does not see anything that could be considered as an achievement by the current administration.
On the economic front, Trillanes said that investors have started to get out of the country, companies have shut down, people are selling Philippine stocks and the peso is weakening.
Trillanes said that a significant part of the jitters is due to the negative statements being made by the President regarding the United States.
He said the administration also failed miserably in its efforts to go after corruption when it paved the way for the release of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who, according to the senator, is the symbol of corruption.
When it comes to peace and order, Trillanes said that the administration has just maintained the status quo at best.
However, he said that this could potentially go downhill with the way the government is dealing with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in the ongoing peace negotiations.
Trillanes pointed out that the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the CPP, was already considered a spent force before the Duterte administration took over.
But now that some of the CPP’s key figures have been given key positions in government, he said that the NPA could benefit from a newfound source of funds.
The traffic situation in Metro Manila and other major urban areas such as Cebu has remained unresolved and has even worsened under the current administration.
Trillanes said that it now appears that the President and his men are just good at making promises that they could not fulfill.
He recalled Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade saying that the traffic situation would be better after 100 days and Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon promised to curb smuggling in the same period.
After 100 days, Trillanes noted that traffic has not improved at all and smuggling remains rampant.
“Now we must start demanding for the delivery of their promises. I think they are just all talk and promises,” Trillanes said.
Sen. Richard Gordon, for his part, agreed with the President who gave himself a grade of six out of 10 in his first 100 days in office.
Gordon noted that the President has been focused on peace and order, so when it comes to this aspect of governance, he would give him a high grade.